Entertainment

1,000+ Hollywood Stars Sign Letter Opposing $111B Warner Merger

Is the Skydance-Paramount merger a threat to journalism and creativity or a necessary business reset for Hollywood?

APR 14·Updated APR 15

1,000+ Hollywood Stars Sign Letter Opposing $111B Warner Merger

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Above: The Hollywood sign as seen from the Baldwin Hills Overlook on Jan. 5, 2025. Image credit: Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

The Spin

Left narrative

This merger is a disaster for journalism and entertainment — consolidating CNN, HBO and CBS under one Trump-aligned billionaire family is a recipe for ideological capture. The deal will gut jobs, crush competition and hand the Ellisons near-total control over how Americans consume news and culture. Whoever wins this corporate power grab, audiences and journalists lose.

The Globe and Mail The News Record

Right narrative

The 1,000-plus Hollywood signatories opposing this merger are led by exactly the wrong messenger: J.J. Abrams collected half a billion dollars from Warner, delivered almost nothing and is now posing as a defender of creativity. The merger's pledge of 30 theatrical releases a year is a concrete commitment that beats the old model of bloated vanity deals. Hollywood is finally acting like a business, which will best protect employment and creativity in the years to come.

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